A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Thomas Watson, d. 1686 • SECTION 24

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← The Doctrine of Repentance

The Do@rine af Repentance, finners in Brittagiz do even ſend God a challenge, Job 15. 25. They ſtrengthex them ſelves againſt the Almighty ; they Fan wpon him even on his neck, on the thick boſſes of his bycklers, The boſles in the buckler are for offence 1n war. Godspre- cepts and threatnings are as it were the thick bofles of his buckler, whereby he would deter men from wickedneſs ; but they regard not, but are deſperate in! ſin, and run furiouſly againſt the bolles of Gods buckler. O to what an height is fin boiled up ! Men count it a ſhame npt to be impydent.*. May it not be ſaid of us as Joſephus iprake of the Jews ; ſuch was the exceſhive wickedneſs of. thofe times, that if the Romans had not come and ſacked their City, Jeruſalem had been {wallowedup with ſome Earth- quake*, or drowned with a flood, þ or fired trom Heaven: And. 1s | 1e-not high time then for this | Nation to enter into a courſe , of Phyſick, and take this pill f , of Repentance, who hath ſo _ many bad humours ſpreading in her body politick 2? England is..anh Iſland encompaſled with two Oceans,:an Ocean of water, and an Ocean of wicked- }

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The DotF# ine of Repert ance. #eſf;>O that! it might be encompalked with a third Ocean, namely, repenting # | tears. If the Book of the Law chance to a fall upon” the omg the Jews have a ctſtom preſently- to: proclaim a Faſt,

© | Eaglend bath let! both Law and Goſpel fall to the ground, therefore had need faſt and mourn before the Lord : The Ephah of wickedneſs ſeems to be full, 50d reafon tears ſhould empty apace, | when fir fills fo faſt : Why then do not 5 Y all faces gather palene6? Why are the yy Wells of Repentance ſtopped ? Do not _ che ſinners of the Land know they ſhould F2 1 + 2h Have they had no' warning? ive not Gods faithful Meſlengers lfted

IEF 1p their uoice as a trumpet, and cryed to thew'to repent ? but many of theſe Tools

in the Miniſtry have been ſpent and worn d. | out upon rocky hearts. Hath not Cod { lighted frrauge Comets 1n the Heavens, as * ſo-many Preachers to call men to Repen- | rance, but 1till chey are ſettled on their l lees, Zeph. 1.12. Do we think God. will lf alwaies put up ouratfronts? Will heen- 'S? dire thirs to have his name and- glory trampled upon ? The Lord hath. utually E: NJ been'more fwift in the proceſs of his jus A >, }- \fiee-ayainſt che ſins of @ profeſſing people. --M - G 3 God

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The Do@Grine of Repentance.

God may a while reprieve' this Land by,

Frerogative, but 1f ever hezſave it, with- out Repentance, he muſt go out of his ordinary Road : I ſay therefore with

Mr. Bradford , RERENT O ENGLAND..

Thou haſt beleaper'd-thy felf with,ſin, and hadit need goland waſhin the ſpixi- tual Jordan: Thou baft kindled Gods an- ger againſt thee, throw away thy wea- pons, and bring thy holy Engines and Water-works, that Gad may be.-ap- peaſedin the blood of Chriſt. Let.:'thy tears run, leſt Gods roll of curſes fly *.

Either men muſt turn, or God will gyer- turn : Either the fallow groond of their hearts muſt be broken-up., or the Land

brokendown. If no words willprevail .

with ſinners, it is becauſe God hath apur- poſe tollay them *, Among the Romans, he who was for his capital offence for- bidden the uſe of water, was thereby concluded to be a condemned perſon..-So

hey who by their prodigious (ins have |

Ir O fir vealed the-God of Heaven, that

hedenies them the water of Repentance, may:look upon-thewſelves as condemned

perſons.

' 3;'Repentance is: oeceſfary fn. the

_—_ crew, Yong: 18. Their deceit I 1

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The DoFrine of Repent ante: #:falſhood, who arc wiſe to do evil *; making uſe of their invention, only-for

Fare they who make them(eives ponr, that - {if would not be miſunderſtood, I mean not - If ſuch, as. the, providence of God hath - © brgught low, ;whole- eſtates: have failed,

d N n9titheir ,boxeſty,z.but fuch-, as feign'a © + - ET break, .that they; imay cheat their Credi-” 7

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y. tors; Thereare ſome whoget. more by

& "I breaking; -than..others can; by. trading :, -- Jtheſeare like beggars that difcolour and” ir | bliſter their arms, that they may move,

d f charity; they liye by their ſores: _ So

2 theſe live by their breaking. . When the

r- | Froſt breaks, the ſtreets are more full of: s, | water: Somany trades-men, when they: r- | break, are fuller of money :' Theſe make: zy | as if they hadnothing, but out of thisno- So | thing, great eſtates are created. Remem- ve | berz the Kingdomot Heaven is taken by at force *, notby fraud. Letmen know, -af-

ter. this goldex ſpp.;the Devil enters: they. |

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ed | {queezea curſtinto- their eſtates; they; | hag peed repent quickly : - Though -the: te Treag of falſhood be ſweet, Prov.20..17. yet cit | many [vomur up, their ſweet" mortels.in 5s) Heb * 4 4. Repen-

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Public-domain historical work by Thomas Watson, d. 1686. OCR from an original historical scan hosted by Internet Archive; OCR may contain recognition errors.

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